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Inside The Army
October 10, 2005
Pg. 1
Army Working To Graduate More Recruits From Basic Training
The Army’s basic training paradigm is shifting from the hard-nosed drill sergeants of the past to “positive leaders” as the service works to graduate as many recruits as possible, according to Maj. Gen. Randal Castro, the Maneuver Support Center and Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, commanding general.
Over the past year, Ft. Leonard Wood officials have incorporated several positive leadership tactics into their basic training program -- some of them service-wide and others unique to the installation. They have contributed to a significant boost in the number of recruits who complete the program, Castro told Inside the Army Oct. 4.
In a five-month window, the two-star estimated that 900 additional soldiers have graduated from Ft. Leonard Wood’s basic training course than before the changes were made.
“It relates to the broader sense of trying to contribute to growing our Army and in a time when it’s tough to get a new recruit in . . . we need to do everything we can to graduate that person,” Castro said.
Army-wide, drill sergeants have taken on the role of squad leader, according to Sgt. Maj. William McDaniel, MANSCEN and Ft. Leonard Wood’s command sergeant major.
Under the new program, each drill sergeant is responsible for training, mentoring, educating and coaching the squad and is evaluated equally on each role, McDaniel said.
“The only drawback is that it takes more time for the drill sergeant to be a teacher, coach and mentor than it does to be a standard bear, ‘You either meet my standard or you’re out,’” Castro said. “Now it’s ‘If you don’t meet the standard I’m going to work with you. I’m going to coach you. I’m going to mentor you because I am very interested in you making it through here’ vs. just sending them out the door.”
Accordingly, the number of tasks that each recruit was taught under the old set up has been reduced to account for the time crunch, Castro added.
Unique to Ft. Leonard Wood’s basic training course is a shift to positive reinforcement, McDaniel said. More specifically, the installation has moved from a punishment-based paradigm to one designed around privileges.
For example, if recruits attain certain goals they may attain phone privileges or the use of things like GameBoys.
Despite the shift, Castro and McDaniel said the Army’s standards remain intact, and recruits are leaving basic training better prepared for combat and other roles.
As a recruit, “if I don’t measure up to the bar the first time, I’m going to try and try again until I meet that level of standards that the Army expects,” McDaniel added. “We will not let a soldier leave who is not prepared to fight.”
Additionally, changes in the field exercise arena have been incorporated into the basic training course to better prepare recruits for war.
Changes include issuing each recruit a weapon on the fourth day of training, renaming the training range map in Arabic, convoy ambush exercises, creating shoot-houses, additional field time and more, McDaniel said.
“We have people signing up to join the Army at a time of war and when we see and integrate the soldiers into the training base, it is unlike how it was during the Vietnam era,” McDaniel said. “We want them to know that we are proud that they are joining our ranks.”
October 10, 2005
Pg. 1
Army Working To Graduate More Recruits From Basic Training
The Army’s basic training paradigm is shifting from the hard-nosed drill sergeants of the past to “positive leaders” as the service works to graduate as many recruits as possible, according to Maj. Gen. Randal Castro, the Maneuver Support Center and Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, commanding general.
Over the past year, Ft. Leonard Wood officials have incorporated several positive leadership tactics into their basic training program -- some of them service-wide and others unique to the installation. They have contributed to a significant boost in the number of recruits who complete the program, Castro told Inside the Army Oct. 4.
In a five-month window, the two-star estimated that 900 additional soldiers have graduated from Ft. Leonard Wood’s basic training course than before the changes were made.
“It relates to the broader sense of trying to contribute to growing our Army and in a time when it’s tough to get a new recruit in . . . we need to do everything we can to graduate that person,” Castro said.
Army-wide, drill sergeants have taken on the role of squad leader, according to Sgt. Maj. William McDaniel, MANSCEN and Ft. Leonard Wood’s command sergeant major.
Under the new program, each drill sergeant is responsible for training, mentoring, educating and coaching the squad and is evaluated equally on each role, McDaniel said.
“The only drawback is that it takes more time for the drill sergeant to be a teacher, coach and mentor than it does to be a standard bear, ‘You either meet my standard or you’re out,’” Castro said. “Now it’s ‘If you don’t meet the standard I’m going to work with you. I’m going to coach you. I’m going to mentor you because I am very interested in you making it through here’ vs. just sending them out the door.”
Accordingly, the number of tasks that each recruit was taught under the old set up has been reduced to account for the time crunch, Castro added.
Unique to Ft. Leonard Wood’s basic training course is a shift to positive reinforcement, McDaniel said. More specifically, the installation has moved from a punishment-based paradigm to one designed around privileges.
For example, if recruits attain certain goals they may attain phone privileges or the use of things like GameBoys.
Despite the shift, Castro and McDaniel said the Army’s standards remain intact, and recruits are leaving basic training better prepared for combat and other roles.
As a recruit, “if I don’t measure up to the bar the first time, I’m going to try and try again until I meet that level of standards that the Army expects,” McDaniel added. “We will not let a soldier leave who is not prepared to fight.”
Additionally, changes in the field exercise arena have been incorporated into the basic training course to better prepare recruits for war.
Changes include issuing each recruit a weapon on the fourth day of training, renaming the training range map in Arabic, convoy ambush exercises, creating shoot-houses, additional field time and more, McDaniel said.
“We have people signing up to join the Army at a time of war and when we see and integrate the soldiers into the training base, it is unlike how it was during the Vietnam era,” McDaniel said. “We want them to know that we are proud that they are joining our ranks.”
